Should We Be Re-Opening? We’ll Know In A Couple Of Weeks

It the ongoing battle against coronavirus, there are two sides that are emerging. The one that urges caution as we continue to try and get a handle on COVID-19. And the side that urges the government to re-open our country for business. Some would have you believe that you have to be on one side or the other. But lately, I'll admit I'm a little bit of both. That is part of what makes this fight so hard. How do you know who is right or wrong?

The Gazette reports that Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds said that Iowa is shifting from coronavirus mitigation to management. More stores are opening for business today in all Iowa counties, even those with serious outbreaks still occurring. The Gazette reports that Reynolds believes that the numbers and data support her actions. We also found out yesterday that there were 655 new cases in Iowa and 12 more deaths, according to the Department of Public Health. It's hard to get excited about shopping when Iowans continue to get sick and die.

But the economy! Yes, our economy is in trouble. Over 33 million people are unemployed. There is a looming meat shortage due to the closures of meatpacking plants across the midwest. Some have said that the economic toll we'll pay for this pandemic will be far greater than the loss of life. While I get their sentiment, I tend not to put dollar values on the lives of loved ones. I want stores to open. I want businesses to succeed. I want people working again. But I have to feel safe while shopping or I'm not going out. Plenty of other people would agree.

So who's right? Well, it turns out we'll have a better idea in just a couple of weeks. That is the typical incubation period for COVID-19. If in two or three weeks we don't see a big spike in cases and hospitalizations then perhaps we're on the road to re-opening. But if we do see a spike, then we have to realize that we jumped the gun, and we don't quite have as much figured out as we thought we did. Listen, I want things to get better. I sure wish I could hug my Mom on this Mother's Day weekend. But I want to make sure that when I do give her a hug, I don't give her an illness that she might not be able to handle. I pray we get there soon.